We've come so far to find no truth
by dytuo
Summary: Envy x OC. She was created to destroy them, and that's exactly what she intends to do. RESTARTED. Reviews mean chapters.
1. Left foot forwards, right hand down

Prologue

There are no bad guys when no one's innocent

We all know of the Sins. The homunculi led by Dante – wicked, evil, monsters – whatever you'd like to call them. Created by twisted acts against the laws of nature in the foolishness of humans – but what happens when someone voluntarily gives their soul. When someone gives a sacrifice to something that never existed in the first place.

Desperate, that's what he was! Fool – he should know better than to try such an unexplored process through alchemy; had anyone even done it before?

Dante picked a loose thread on her sleeve, mellowing in her thoughts. She knew Koseim was desperate, but would he really throw himself away? She looked to the horizon opposite that of the setting sun. A moon would rise soon enough, destined to be full. That would be when he did it. They were closer than ever to gaining a hold on him – he probably knew that they were going to pounce sometime tonight; if they could just find his whereabouts.

Four shadows, loyal shadows, stood perfectly still, their faces hidden by the angle of their hanging heads. "Lust," Dante muttered, and one of the figured shifted uncomfortably, beckoning the figure forwards to reveal a darkly haired woman in a simple dress, black gloves and with a bowed chin.

"Yes," the homunculus replied, keeping an even tone and careful not to betray the thoughts she held on the absurdity of their odds. Dante remained silent for another minute. "Such an act would require a great deal of space, would it not?" Lust did not reply. "He cannot hide in some baker's pantry and still commit to the act, can he?" Silence. "Do you think . . . they would try the act in the very place they've done all their research?" A figure stirred and opened his mouth before another nudged him, allowing Lust to reply.

"That seems plausible, but wouldn't it be considered obvious?"

"They could either be very smart or very desperate. After all, they and all others are inexperienced in such advanced alchemy. Koseim is one of the greatest State Alchemists I have ever had the misfortune to meet, but he has been forced to travel far and wide for the scraps of knowledge he holds in his situation.

"Why couldn't he just use the traditional way of creating a monster?" A figure silenced until then burst out with a seemingly urgent question in the form of a growl – a history on the subject seemed to have aroused this. Dante did not turn, merely closed her eyes and smiled lightly.

"Envy, Koseim wants to destroy all of you, not make another one. Besides, after all the tracking we've done, I'd think you'd know what he's up to," she replied with an air of impatience, her eyes settled on the very rim of the sun as it sank below the mountains, then the other direction – the peak of the blue moon crawling up with a glow in its wake. "Envy. Lust. You can handle a couple of Alchemists, can't you?" A scoff from the shadows met her, a nod from the light. "Go to the library. Kill Koseim, and whatever the hell he's whipped up."

With that, the woman with the long dark hair sped off, the new figure of an equally long haired figure running after her. Neither said anything, for the tension and urgency to this attempt kept their tongues at bay, perhaps in between their teeth as they sought a way to seize the upper hand.

-- -- -- -- -- -- --

"Sir Koseim – we should draw it now; the circle's contents are complicated. Sir, at least begin on yourself. Sir?"

The incessant babble was silenced with the wave of a leathery hand, the one free from the pen. An older man, perhaps in his mid fifties, clutched a quill in his left fingers and smiled benignly as he jotted down an entry to his daughter. She would be his daughter, his child. He scribbled on what seemed to be the last pages of a thick book, his legacy and all that his daughter would need to know. "Yes, Sergeant. In due time," Koseim muttered, making a pronounced period with an inky blot from his quill. With that, the aged man took off his tie, bound the book shut and made sure his initials, the gold embroidered letters K. H., were easily visible. "Show this to her when she is calm enough," he commanded, and the Sergeant nodded, confused and slightly morose at the almost cheery look on the wilted features. Koseim knew he was to die in a fashion, why should he be unhappy when he knew he was to bring in new light. He just wished he could see what his daughter looked like. His daughter. His child.

Koseim knelt and stood up, rubbing his sore back and handing the book to the Sergeant. Knowing he was under the watchful eyes of several State Alchemists, one of which was his previous apprentice, he offered them a smile and a salute, the latter which they offered in return. At that, he pulled a dagger from his pocket, unsheathed it, and brought it across the palm of his left hand. No one moved, and Koseim continued smiling. He brought his index finger into the collective pool and traced a circle on the back of his hand, above his wrist but below his knuckles. He did the same for his other hand, and made another incision in his right palm. No one moved.

The Alchemists sprang into action at the faintest nod, two whipping out chalk and making precise measurements, always under the close watch of the famous ex Alchemist. He instructed them when the lines were too wavering, and made sure every single angle was correct. When they'd finished the markings and symbols of the most basic measures, Koseim knelt and began his work. It was tedious, but out of respect, every member in the room watched and encouraged him with their very presence. Blood smeared over the thick chalk but the elderly man made sure not to allow blow in contact with the circle. He couldn't have a foolish error ruining what could be the only way to rid of the Homunculi.

At exactly five minutes before the moon was at its highest, hell broke loose. A soldier rushed into the room just as Koseim sat back to admire his extremely intricate drawing. "Sergeant! The homunculi! They know!" Obviously out of breath, the young soldier struggled to continue. "Dead Guards . . . East gate . . ."

"Is that all, soldier?"

A nod.

A gunshot.

All the Alchemists save for Koseim allowed their eyes to widen and their mouths to gape as the young brown haired soldier dropped to his knees, then fell backwards, a rivulet of blood streaming down the side of a sizzling bullet wound in his forehead. Before any of them could protest or question him, the Sergeant turned away, facing them. "This procedure is necessary under such conditions. We cannot have the homunculi ruining this project, and for we know, he could have been one of them."

"This is not a project, Sergeant . . ."

The Sergeant turned, staring at the speaker – Koseim.

"This is bringing a human life into the world. A powerful one, inhuman in many aspects, but a human all the same . . ."

He looked weak, and his gaze dropped to his chalk dusted shoes. The Alchemists exchanged glances. Even if this was closer to a human being then a homunculus, it was still not considered a human – its matter had been produced through alchemy, and that was what divided whatever it would be from the human gene.

"Human … all the easier to destroy," came a cruel sneer, and the Sergeant came around just in time to have a thick metal pike thrust through the middle of his face, killing him instantly. Blood drenched the soldier's arm, but even as he grinned victoriously, viciously, he morphed into a green haired figure with flashing violet eyes. The victory was short lived, however, because before he could shake the corpse off his mutated limb, he was blasted with fire, had a spear driven through his abdomen and experienced roughly ten thousand volts of electricity in the same moment. "FUCK." Envy snarled, just as a bullet silenced him and threw him backwards, still flaming and smoldering.

In this moment, Lust appeared, using her own 'talents' to 'good use'. She drove her nails into the ceiling, lowered herself down, and retracted, swishing the fingers of her other hand and driving her index into the arm of the gun holder.

Meanwhile, Koseim had dived into his circle, muttered, and timed himself perfectly. The moment the moon centered above him, he flexed both veined hands and embraced the heat that surged through him, spreading from his core all the way to his fingers, toes, and even the tips of his ears. "My daughter . . ." Koseim smiled, just as the recovered Envy drove a lethal blow through the right side of his rib cage, stepping into the now glowing circle in the process. Lust glared at him all the while battling the four alchemists and struggling to angle her nails as each of them attacked her with their abilities. Green locks whipping about his face, Envy had a revelation and searched desperately for the symbol. Which one should he mess up? He could feel an unfamiliar warmth within as the magic searched for a soul; finding none, Envy managed only to smear what he thought would do the most damage before he was thrust out of the circle, hitting the opposite wall where he was forced to roll out of the way of a fiery dart before he could even regain his senses.

The only thing the homunculi could do was wait for Koseim to die or for the Alchemy to be completed. Meanwhile, they began occupying themselves with the talented Alchemists. While the Homunculi were swifter, the State had elements on their side and did not fail to use them to incinerate blast and electrify the pair, among other things. Koseim was bleeding everywhere, and he sank to his elbows, eyes wide, blood dribbling from his mouth. He felt intense pain just before he was pulled into the crushing blackness of the Abyss. As he disappeared, incinerated by what could be called It, the circle grew into a sphere of intense light, temporarily blinding the Alchemists and Homunculi alike. Then a sense of urgency donned on both sides as a barely visible outline appeared, a humanoid shape. The Alchemists needed to get this creation away from the Homunculi before they could destroy it; the homunculi away from the Alchemists before they could save it. In a cruel twist of fate, Lust speared two Alchemists through the forehead at the same time as Envy plunged his fist straight through another's stomach. The final Alchemist began a last ditch attempt against Lust; meanwhile, the creation had risen from the crouch and stepped from the light, dazed and confused. Not a very nice way to come alive; the second she emerged from the light, Envy's fist came smashing into the side of her face. The girl was sent backwards, out of the blinding light – now it was visible; she was wearing Koseim's clothes, and in such that they were baggy and loose fitting.

Stumbling backwards, the indifferent sin rained blows down from above, panic and urgency overriding thought and planning as he struggled to kill this . . . equal before she could don any defense, such as stones and recovery. So sure was he of his victim that he snarled a laugh, bringing his fist up to crush her skull in a final blow. He drove his knuckled downwards to the girl's wide golden eyes and caught sight – only for a moment – of dilated cat-like pupils, before her fist came to his eye, and his to hers. In this perfectly timed connection, one of defense, the other of aggression, both stumbled backwards, both blazing with an invisible radiated power.

"Who are you?" Still glowing, a note of confusion mingled with desperation and misunderstanding found its way into the furious growl. Envy realized that considering the way she'd been brought to life, she'd have no past memories at all, like he had. He could remember Hohenheim of Light, while she could remember only basic utilities like speech and writing; everything her 'father' had known as an instinct.

"Envy, pleased to meet you," he rasped, inattentive to the new threat as he pounced forwards, fists clenched and ready to bash every inch of flesh he could reach. She would die at his hands; they did not have the option of failure when this abomination could possibly be their defeat. As the bewildered girl unwillingly accepted the blows, she seemed to feel pain but nothing else. Why isn't she dead? He growled inwardly, thrashing around all the more and landing the odd solid blow – most glanced her in the flailing desperation of his hatred. No homunculus wannabe could stand in his way without facing his wrath.

The only thing the creation could do was don crossed arms and braced legs; as punches rained on her arms, she was shoved backwards until she was forced the kneel on one knee, and then the blows came from an upward angle. So intent on destroying this enemy, Envy had forgotten all about the final Alchemist – the one who happened to have broken away from Lust and had thrown himself around the homunculi's waist. Knocked sideways and taken completely by surprise, the State did all but leap off before the enraged homunculus could catch him in a jaw breaking fist throw. In a matter of crucial seconds, the Alchemist had clapped his hands together, blasted a hole through the wall, and then brought the roof down over their heads, creating a barrier as the two ran through the door. On the way out, he grabbed the book, though he did not find it as much of an important matter as Koseim had firmly stated.

Looking back over his shoulder, the Alchemist kept the heavy book under one arm and the girl's hand clasped in his own, literally dragging her behind him, ignoring the many questions that he knew he had no way to answer. One struck him particularly hard.

"What's going on?"


	2. Finally found a reason

Disclaimer : I do not own FMA, and did/will not claim to own it in previous/future chapters. This story is purely fan made.

Zetch : but god i'm rad. i do own rad, that i definitely cannot deny.

Small gathered crowd: It's been like . . . god knows how long since you've added a chapter.

Zetch : iWork.

Small gathered crowd: uLazy

Zetch: STFU.

Well, it had been an interesting turn of events, hadn't it? Nevio Ledote absentmindedly picked a scab on his cheek, watching the girl carefully and always scouring her face for an expression other than incomprehension.

"Don't, you'll scar."

"Too late to worry about that . . ."

"Scars are ugly, and you really don't want to emphasize that, considering," she snapped, hating the anxious contradictory side Nevio had been demonstrating since the earlier morning. In his silence, she took his sudden appearance as a need to speak with her, though her eyes wandered from his face to look imploringly at his hands, which were nowhere to be seen. Suddenly she was on her feet, and she had him dancing out of her snatching hands. "What is it, tell me," she demanded firmly, though she was smiling mischievously. There was a brief struggle before Nevio was on the bed and the girl was straddling him, attempting to wrest the book form his hands. Far from romantic, both fought a bit dirtily before the creation finished the dispute with a gentle [ by her standards but immobilizing knuckle to his gut, no harm done. Not about to allow this victory go without gloating a bit first, she hovered there as his fingers grappled at the book which dangled teasingly just out of reach. She stood, flitting a bit before jumping off and leaving the new State Alchemist attempting to flatten his newly ruffled hair.

"Christ, I'm supposed to do this professionally, and Alchemists aren't supposed to to even make physical contact with-"

"Shut up, it's your fault for taunting me."

"I did not taunt you! Now listen, we've got to be serious for a moment. Pretend like you don't know me. And that I'm not as good looking," he added, unable to resist a bit of self flattery in order to loosen the tension a bit. "When you read that book, I mean there's only one thing I can say. Remember that it is for you, written by the one who created you."

"I was born. Not created," she replied quietly, but he was already retreating, closing the door softly behind him. She listened to the soft patter of his footsteps till the sound muffled down the corridor, and then she looked down at the leather book, bound by a silken black tie with a gold emblem. She lifted the thick cover to reveal slightly ink smudged paper, signed with neat cursive. Koseim Ezra Gregory.

Flipping the page, the beginning that met her took the first of many hard blows to come.

"Hello, daughter. Your name is Rory."

-- -- -- --

Later on, early in the morning, Rory was still awake reading. She was near the end, but from the beginning page she had had no desire to continue, and when a gentle knock on the door startled her from her trance-like state, she ripped her eyes from the page to meet the familiar face. Nevio yawned widely, but she could tell it was forced, perhaps to ease her taut nerves. "So . . . have you finished it, Rory?"

"You read my book?"

"Why would I waste my time on that?"

"It is not a waste of time!" Rory snarled, almost shouting despite herself. Deciding it was not the right time to test her mood, Nevio retreated from her fury and picked his way along another path. He shuffled over to the side of her bed, leaned against it and sighed heavily. Half beneath the covers but still in her daytime clothing, the girl nudged him with her foot appreciatively and hummed thoughtfully. He looked to her and saw her eyes were a bit red and a subtle curve in her mouth indicated a barely retained frown. Without saying anything, Nevio slipped out of his shoes, tossed off his hat and began unbuttoning the shirt to his uniform – needless to say, he received a raised brow, but things were quickly resolved when a peek of light blue flannel pajamas flickered into view.

"You've been wearing those all day?"

"No, god no. I didn't think I'd be coming back here but I noticed your lights were still on, and the 'code' of the Alchemists demands I keep my uniform on in front of visitors outside of family at all times, lest we lose any . . . public respect by displaying casual wear."

Rory snorted disdainfully, passing air through her lips and huffing.

"Alchemist fluff. I guess you're breaking the law then."

There were three ways he could answer this. First, he could go mushy and tell her she was almost family. Secondly, he could tell her that she wasn't human and that she didn't count, but that would be a bit below the belt. Lastly, he could tell her he didn't care about the law any more. Wisely, he chose the latter. She merely snorted again, settling back to silence and looking dreamily to the far wall, her face full of calculation and bitterness. Finally Nevio was in his socks and sat on her bed, running out of distractions that could postpone the moment where he'd be forced to ask her what Koseim had said. He opened his mouth but before he could say anything she rolled away from him and closed her eyes, tossing the book onto the other pillow of the queen sized bed. "Come on, don't pretend like you need to sleep. Do you want to talk?"

"No."

"Don't be difficult, please Rory, I'm just doing my job."

"Is your job more important than a living being's privacy?"

"You're not a—listen; it's not like you have to tell me his darkest secrets; what were the highlights?"

Rory sighed, picking at her nails hesitantly before giving into their friendship and spilling a very small selection of writings.

"I was given Koseim's soul, but I was created from alchemic matter – I might not be totally human, but I have feelings, a brain, and I have to breathe to survive. That's another thing – you know how the Homunculi must have a steady intake of the Philosopher's Stones? I'm the opposite, I heal at any time, and if I do eat one, I lose my regenerative powers, I eat two, I'm about human strength, three . . . let's just say I won't be a match for the monsters; Envy, Lust, Gluttony, Wrath, Pride, Greed and Sloth. I'm supposed to destroy them, but I'm sure all of you were already aware of that last part," she stated flatly, and for a moment she felt a lance of anger race through her. For a moment, just a single moment, she felt like a puppet, a tool, but then she remembered the fond way her father – yes, her father - had spoken of her. Despite her limited time in the world, she would not have guessed, ever, that such affection could come from one stranger to another. She had gotten to know her father with such in depth perception that she felt as if she had seen him, that she had really been born to him, that she had spent the age she looked [ around eighteen at his side. She remembered that he had died to bring her into his world, and her anger disappeared into waves of sadness and desperation. "Do you have a picture of him?" Nevio did not need to ask who she spoke of; rather, he pulled a fresh, brightly colored photograph from his pocket.

"It was in the book before, but I figured you'd want to read about him first. He offered her the paper, and he found that she snatched it rather fast; the hungry look in her eyes startled him. There, standing still but somehow lifelike, was Koseim – he was a kind looking older man with a neatly trimmed beard, thin round glasses and a tall, well built frame with broad shoulders and a body that looked like it had once been muscled, but had retreated into old age's embrace. Mindlessly, Rory stroked the corner of the picture, willing herself not to cry in front of a brainless mercenary or whatever he was who had probably only ever known Koseim as a higher position to be respected. They had not known the sweet man who had wanted a daughter so badly however she came about, that he had donated his most precious gift to her without hesitating. He had told her that the reason she had not been created like a homunculus was because he had not wanted her to be destructive and controlled, but to be free, and this she found rather thoughtful.

"Only there's something that confuses me; Father said I was supposed to have straight blond hair, blue eyes, and that I was supposed to be able to do Alchemy. As you can see, I do not have those traits, and I can't do Alchemy to save my neck. Do you know why this is?" Rory questioned feebly, scratching at a thread from the book's seam.

"Not that I can remember . . ." Nevio stated lightly, thinking back to the night when he and the several other Alchemists had accompanied Koseim to the library. He had been the aged man's last apprentice – he knew the elderly being would not have made such a petty mistake as to fumble with chalk. Suddenly the memory came to him, like a ton of bricks. "Actually, come to think of it, I can. The circle was disturbed in the middle of the whole thing. Do you think that would have made a difference?"

"Well, considering all that Father said about the importance of precision within Alchemy, I would assume so."

"Well, the green haired one, you remember him I would hope, he scuffed up the right left side right after he killed Ko- … Kories, Flander Kories."

Way to go, he thought to himself, you insensitive bastard, you blew it! Nevio knew she was not stupid, that there was no way she could have missed his falter. It was confirmed when her eyes widened and all her fidgeting came to a stand still.

"Don't . . . fucking . . . lie to me," she hissed, bringing herself onto her elbows and sitting up to stare him straight in the eyes, her expression furious. "The . . . green haired one, he killed Koseim? That's why he's not here today?" Rory could not bring herself to say his name, though it had been continually used within the book, both directly and indirectly. Nevio looked to the girl with unfocused eyes before sighing.

"Yes," he replied sadly, looking to her face in an attempt to catch her gaze, to find her feelings – it was not hard to do. He could see a terrible mixture of sadness, anger, revulsion, perhaps even self loathing. They sat in silence for a few minutes before he spoke again. "Listen, you and I both know that you're supposed to go out and destroy them, and I can only imagine this makes you want to get going, but will you at least stay till tomorrow evening?" Nevio inquired quickly, watching her lean sideways and make a move to stand. "The Elric brothers are coming tomorrow, and I think you'll find them interesting enough – they've fought the Homunculi before and seek to destroy them as well," he added, and did not speak again [he had convinced her as soon as he'd said Elric – a famed name within the base . Standing, he looked at her in the pale pink shirt and loose gray pants, scruffy and at ease physically, before walking out, collecting his uniform on the way. He assumed it would be hard for her tonight – she didn't need to sleep, so she'd have a lot of time to think about all that she had read. He did not know if his ears deceived him, but he could have sworn he'd heard her speak just before he'd exited the room.

Rory turned and looked at herself in the mirror once the door was closed. She saw long auburn hair in loose ringlets falling down her back, bright hazel eyes, graceful, willowy frame with a well proportioned bust – she was not the image of skilled fighter that held innocent lives in her hands.

"Fine."

-- -- -- -- -- --

FINALLY. The boring chapters are done D I know, must've been a drag for you guys to have to read through the whole explanation/history shizzle but in order to give a foundation for the rest of the story.

Oh, if you guys don't want Nevio to die, say so now.


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